Diversity:
BU has at least a little bit of everything. People come from all over the world to do their studies here or just for a semester or year. It's great because the diversity opens up doors into other cultures you can learn about.

Overall Experience:
I wouldn't change this experience for anything. I was not happy with my financial aid issues, but I love my program, I have great teachers and I know people from all over the world!

Weather:
Weather is gonna affect you wherever you are. Weather sucks in New England if you don't like the cold, but you suck it up and those warm sunny days make up for all the crappy ones and make you forget about winter.

Majors:
I am in a 5 year program for Painting (BFA) and Art Education (MFA). It is tough and intense, but do-able and I even went abroad! BU is also know for its Art Education program in Massachusetts and if they need a teacher, they have called BU before, so there is a good chance that you will find a job after graduation (Art Ed jobs are very limited, they rarely call).

Scholarships:
They are great on giving you loans, not very good on scholarships and one year they reduced my scholarship. Financial Aid is the only thing at BU that makes me wish I had studied elsewhere.

Health & Safety:
BU has a student connect service in which you can e-mail a nurse, and they get back to you fairly quickly, but it is too impersonal for my taste. However, if I really want to, I could show up and wait to be seen, but it is always a long wait. I feel safe around campus and when I go out at night because I am usually in a group and if I am alone, I am ok and aware of my surroundings. I don't take out my i-phone if I'm in a sketchy area because it would tempt would be robbers.

Greek Life:
I think the lack of sorority housing makes Greek life a different experience for BU. Fraternity housing for BU is present but not all that nice, and therefore the parties they throw are often somewhat creepy.

Administration:
The only thing that BU is particularly strict about is visitors, many of the larger dorms have security gaurds, so it is a hassle to have visitors from outside BU, or have BU students that live off campus.

Overall ExperienceWhat's this?

While BU certainly has its downfalls, most of which are due to the sheer size of the University, there are plenty of opportunities to take full advantage of all that it has to offer. For the resourceful and motivated, a little effort will go a long way. The most important thing is to utilize your professors to your advantage. It is their job to be available to their students, and while some are certainly more attentive than others, students are not turned away by a professor when they have gone looking for opportunities or support.

Keeping busy, being well-organized, and choosing a course of study that truly stimulates your intellectual interests will all be really helpful in having a successful experience at BU. Many students dread graduation day, and therefore, leaving Boston is not something they look forward to. On the flip-side, countless others would argue the opposite perspective. Accept your environment and work with it, as well as against it. Do not stay inside for too long, and do not drink away your college years. Make school a priority, and hang out with your professors (they are the best resource you have). Boston is a huge city with a really large population of young people. If you are looking for a taste of city life, and think that you would be able to establish yourself at a big university in a high-paced atmosphere, it is definitely possible to find your niche here.